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My goal is broad, but simple in concept. I wish to infuse life into our textiles. Bring meaning and purpose to what cloth is made from, who makes them and who they are made for. Textiles that are infused with life will strengthen our planet.

I recently Graduated from Parsons School of Design with a Masters in Textiles. Textiles has tied togethers individuals and cultures across time. I was not a traditional graduate student. I received my undergraduate Bachelors of Fine Arts from Norther Michigan University in Sculpture. Then, I had an enjoyable career as an upholster for 15 years. Upholstery developed my knowledge of textiles for furniture, as window coverings, headboards, awnings, and the interior of automobiles and watercraft.

I also began hand weaving cloth after my undergraduate studies. It was my hobby and I became obsessed and wove proficiently. Handweaving and upholstery tied well together with my sculptural studies.

With an influx of more disposable furniture and a consumer driven desire for new products, I switch fields into information systems. I worked for 5 years at my native tribe, the Sault Sainte Maire Tribe of Chippewa Indians. I began an entry level position and left overseeing the security of an entire network that supported a tribal government including sectors such as police, social services, health services, hospitality and gaming. I learned a lot but I found the purpose of data monitoring as stale, and lifeless. I hope to bring my high-tech knowledge into a new age of TECH-tiles.

Parson’s announcement for a new masters of textiles program piqued my interest. I applied, was accepted and took the plunge into being part of a newly forming program. Parsons built upon my high and low technical skills and taught me how to bring life into textiles. We do this by connecting our collective beliefs with the textiles in our lives. Color, texture, pattern, shape, form, and materials are the ingredients. Woven together, they complete our traditions, habits, and culture. They define our personalities, nations, religions, and our identity. Textiles infuse our lives.